New Cumbrian/north Lancashire station stops and reopening the Keswick to Penrith Line feature as recommendations in a report on railways in the north of England written by Professor Paul Salveson for CPRE North West. 

The report was commissioned in response to a recent Government consultation on the rail needs for the Midlands and North of England.  Professor Salveson took evidence from CPRE NW branches and other interested people in order to identify the most urgent rail needs in the north west.  Friends of the Lake District contributed to the report which included upgrades to rail links in Cumbria.  

The suggestions which would directly benefit Cumbria include:

• Addressing the lack of a station stop on the West Coast Mainline at Carnforth, implementation of which would enable passengers to change directly onto the Barrow-in-Furness line and the Bentham Line (Lancaster-Leeds);
• The need for upgrades and passing loops on the West Coast Main Line to allow trains to stop at both Oxenholme and Penrith;
• Passing loop on the Lakes Line to increase capacity to two trains an hour, and;
• the Keswick to Penrith Line should be reopened, with further extension to Cockermouth and connection to the Cumbria Coastal Line at Workington to be considered. 

You can read the whole report here>